Sun-Times Chicago Sports Coverage

Sports

Obit Mandisa. Mandisa accepts the award for pop/contemporary album of the year at the Dove Awards Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn. Mandisa, a contemporary Christian singer who appeared on “American Idol” and won a Grammy for her 2013 album ‘Overcomer’, has died.

Music

Mandisa, Grammy-winning singer and 'American Idol' alum, dies at 47

Mandisa, whose full name is Mandisa Lynn Hundley, was born near Sacramento, California, and grew up singing in church.

By Associated Press

Cubs

Jameson Taillon allows one run in season debut as Cubs win 8-3 against Marlins

Bears

USC QB Caleb Williams aims to exceed Texans star C.J. Stroud's rookie season for Bears

Cubs

Jed Hoyer hopes resiliency is a hallmark for Cubs

Someone to Watch in ’24

Rising singer-songwriter Kara Jackson opening first U.S. tour with sold-out Chicago show

From our columnists

White Sox

Tim Anderson on his rise and fall with the White Sox and trying to 'get back to the player I used to be'

Anderson talked smack, flipped bats and became the coolest thing about a Sox team seemingly headed for great things. Then it all went “poof.” In town with the Marlins, he discussed it on Thursday.

By Steve Greenberg

Kamilla Cardoso wears a T-shirt and ballcap that both read "National Champions" as she stands on a ladder next to a basketball net and holds a piece cut from it.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Sky earn a B- for draft: They got big names, but they're big projects

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese will fill seats, but their games need further development.

By Annie Costabile

Bulls

One question about the Bulls and Hawks meeting in a play-in game: Do they have to?

The very concept that a Bulls team frozen in borderline irrelevance, let alone a Hawks squad that’s even worse, could eventually give the top-seeded Celtics any sort of difficulty in a best-of-seven series is farcical.

By Steve Greenberg

Rendering of a proposed new White Sox ballpark at The 78.

Sports

Chicago stadiums, arenas and real estate make for a playground for the wealthy

We all love sports teams, but regular people don’t own the buildings or the land they frolic upon. We just pay homage to the teams — and to the power-laden who own them.

By Rick Telander

White Sox

If only the White Sox had what the Reds have, instead of having … nothing

Not to tell new Sox general manager Chris Getz how to do his job, but he probably should go out and find at least one superstar talent who actually can stay on the field. You know, just a thought.

By Steve Greenberg

College Sports

DePaul's Chris Holtmann got off the mat and went back to work — like never before

After being fired for the first time in his career, Holtmann wanted to unplug from basketball. Instead, he plugged back in.

By Steve Greenberg

A crowd of pedestrians react as they watch the Jumbotron television screen in New York's Times Square, Oct. 3, 1995, and the news that O.J. Simpson was found not guilty of killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

Columnists

O.J. Simpson is gone, but the division his life reflected remains

The legacy Orenthal James Simpson leaves behind is painful, a study of what truly drives American culture.

By Scoop Jackson

Columnists

The varied memories of O.J. Simpson come busting through

Has there ever been an athlete — I could almost say, has there ever been a man? — who rose to such a peak in life and then descended into such a valley?

By Rick Telander

Sports Media

What are the top 5 streaming sports add-ons for Chicago fans?

The Cubs and White Sox return to Apple TV+ this month, but fans might not get the bang for their buck. However, a few other streamers that air our teams are worth the money.

By Jeff Agrest

White Sox

There's nothing surprising about the White Sox' awful start — not the losses, not the injuries

Bad players and an owner who doesn’t care are a recipe for disaster.

By Rick Morrissey

College Sports

2005 Illini head our list of Big Ten's best men's basketball teams since Michigan State won it all in 2000

The Big Ten’s national-title drought is nearing the quarter-century mark, but the conference has seen lots of elite teams since young Tom Izzo led the Spartans to the mountaintop. Here are the top 10.

By Steve Greenberg

College Sports

Caitlin Clark scored more than everyone, but context is needed

Records come, records go. Clark is deserving of plaudits, but an explanation of the scoring record requires a deeper dive.

By Rick Telander

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament - National Championship

College Sports

In the year of the favorite, South Carolina beats Iowa, Caitlin Clark for a national title

Women’s and men’s tournaments come down to the best teams.

By Rick Morrissey

College Sports

Final Four brings women's basketball to one defining moment

Not since Magic vs. Bird has the sport been so redefined.

By Scoop Jackson

Top sports headlines

Connor Bedard assesses rookie season with Blackhawks: 'I was OK'

You can put it on the board ... no! Numbers don't look so good for White Sox

Opening game of Marlins-Cubs series postponed; split doubleheader scheduled for Saturday

Cubs reliever Mark Leiter Jr.'s family makes history, while he starts season strong in pivotal role

Bulls get chance for revenge against Heat in Miami

With Stadium, Jerry Reinsdorf can create something he couldn’t 40 years ago

NHL approves Coyotes' move from Arizona to Salt Lake City

Simone Biles thought 'world is going to hate me' after she left team final at Tokyo Games

High school sports

Loyola’s Donovan Robinson (1) is taken down by Brother Rice’s Daniel Terri (82).

Loyola's Donovan Robinson and Lincoln-Way East's Jonas Williams piling up scholarship offers

By Mike Clark

White Sox

White Sox' Yoan Moncada heading to Arizona soon to begin rehab from adductor strain

“I never thought my season would be over,” Moncada said.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

NFL

Thanks partly to NIL, fewer underclassmen enter NFL Draft

This month’s draft features 58 early entrants, the lowest number of players to enter the draft with college eligibility remaining since 2011.

By Associated Press

Bears

Bears hire Chiefs executive Ted Crews to run public relations ahead of QB Caleb Williams' likely arrival

In their search to find someone who can steer the team through the tremendous amount of attention it’ll be getting, they chose an executive who worked with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce.

By Jason Lieser

Bears

QB decision is Bears GM Ryan Poles' moment of truth

After a teardown and promising first steps of the rebuild, Poles’ future still hinges on getting the quarterback right. It’s a daunting task, but with the No. 1 pick and recently acquired playmakers, Poles has opportunities to develop a franchise QB that his predecessors didn’t have.

By Mark Potash

NBA

Raptors' Jontay Porter gets lifetime ban from NBA

A league investigation found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games.

By Associated Press

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry

Olympic Sports

LeBron James, Stephen Curry lead USA Olympics men's basketball team

The group has seven players with 10 combined Olympic gold medals.

By Associated Press

MLB

Woman who accused Trevor Bauer of sexual assault is now charged with defrauding ex-MLB player

An indictment in Arizona charges the woman with fraud and theft by extortion, both felonies, but doesn’t provide specific details about the alleged crimes. It says Bauer and one other person were defrauded in a scheme that potentially spanned several years.

By Associated Press

Leroy Bowman holds one of the more than 1,000 comforters he pieced and sewed for the Mennonite Central Committee.

Outdoors

Picking at memories of a long life: Leroy Bowman, who has died at age 95, did it all

My dad, Leroy Bowman, whom I credit with much of my love of the outdoors, led a full life filled with anomalies: deer hunting, ordained Mennonite deacon, quarryman, trout fishing, raising six kids. He died at 95 over the solar-eclipse weekend and the memories bubble up.

By Dale Bowman

Blackhawks

Analyzing Lukas Reichel's difficult Blackhawks season, what he improved and what he didn't

The soon-to-be 22-year-old forward struggled throughout most of the year, although he did at least improve his ability to move on from mistakes.

By Ben Pope

Blackhawks

Blackhawks fall to Golden Knights in penultimate game of season

The Hawks weren’t able to translate possession time into much tangible offense during a 3-1 loss Tuesday in Vegas.

By Ben Pope

Bears

Mock draft: Bears go for USC QB Caleb Williams first, but who's next?

Sitting at Nos. 1 and 9, Bears general manager Ryan Poles has a huge opportunity next week.

By Jason Lieser

Cubs

Cubs have rotation decisions to make with Jameson Taillon nearing a return

Ben Brown and Javier Assad have performed well, while veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks again struggled in Tuesday’s 12-11 loss to the Diamondbacks.

By Maddie Lee

Sports Media

Stadium, likely next TV home for White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, figures to keep some continuity

Behind-the-scenes folks at NBC Sports Chicago, such as producers, directors and production technicians, would help ease the transition. The teams already have informed some current staffers that they would be making the move.

By Jeff Agrest

White Sox

Nick Nastrini, Jonathan Cannon get their chance with White Sox

They’re the third pair of Sox pitchers to make debuts in back-to-back games, and the first since 1932.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

White Sox

Royals-White Sox postponed

The White Sox and Royals will play a straight doubleheader Wednesday.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Alex Caruso, Clint Capela, Dejounte Murray

Bulls

Alex Caruso and his Bulls teammates are all set to try to lock down Hawks

Caruso likely will draw the Trae Young assignment first, but with guard Ayo Dosunmu close to a possible return from an injured quadriceps, Young could face a two-headed monster.

By Joe Cowley

Blackhawks

Blackhawks' draft-lottery odds locked in with top-four pick guaranteed

The Hawks will have a 13.5% chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick, which would allow them to select consensus top prospect Macklin Celebrini. The lottery will be held in early May.

By Ben Pope

MLB

Carl Erskine, Dodgers pitcher and last member of 'Boys of Summer,' dies at 97

Among the last survivors from the celebrated Brooklyn teams of the 1950s, Erskine spent his entire major-league career with the Dodgers from 1948 to 1959, helping them win five National League pennants. He threw a no-hitter against the Cubs in 1952.

By Associated Press

College Sports

Michigan gets probation, fine for football recruiting violations

The NCAA said it had reached a negotiated resolution with the school involving five former and current coaches and staffers, but it did not include allegations that Jim Harbaugh failed to cooperate with investigators. That is now a separate case.

By Associated Press

White Sox

Offensive help on way? Tommy Pham could join White Sox by end of month

The Sox made the veteran outfielder’s signing official.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Bears

Bears president Kevin Warren has seen team transform in Year 1, but biggest challenge remains

George McCaskey knew Warren would have a different management style than retiring Bears president/CEO Ted Phillips. Exactly a year into Warren’s tenure — the former Big Ten commissioner started at Halas Hall last April 17 — the chairman has adjusted to it. He considered it his duty to.

By Patrick Finley

Outdoors

Chicago fishing: Spring spawns its usual variety and options

Truly spring-like weather over the weekend showed the variety of fishing options available around Chicago and leads this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

By Dale Bowman

MLB

Whitey Herzog, Cardinals' Hall of Fame manager who led team to World Series title, dies at 92

Herzog guided St. Louis to three pennants and a World Series title in the 1980s and perfected an intricate, nail-biting strategy known as “Whiteyball.”

By Associated Press

Cubs

Cubs' Nico Hoerner finds creative ways to drive in, score runs in 3-2 win against Diamondbacks

The Cubs beat the Diamondbacks in 11 innings Monday night.

By Maddie Lee

LSU forward Angel Reese, right, and South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso battle over the ball during an NCAA women's college basketball game.

Chicago Sky and WNBA

Sky get what they wanted, selecting Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese with No. 3 and No. 7 picks

In a draft class touted as the one that will change the trajectory of the WNBA, arguably only the Fever — with No. 1 overall pick Caitlin Clark — procured more star power than the Sky.

By Annie Costabile

Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Seth Jones much better in second half of season, just like in '22-23

The veteran defenseman isn’t sure why, but his play and production improved significantly after Jan. 13 the last two seasons.

By Ben Pope

White Sox

White Sox righty Nick Nastrini's debut an 'out of body experience'

Nastrini pitched five innings of two-run ball in the loss to the Royals.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

White Sox

White Sox’ worst start gets worse after suffering sixth shutout

The Sox’ bleak start to the season continues. They have a five-game losing streak, a 1-8 record at home after the latest loss and shutout — 2-0 to the Royals — and a 2-14 overall record.

By Daryl Van Schouwen

Cubs

Cubs' defense back to meeting expectations after rocky start to season

The Cubs are coming off a series victory in Seattle that was made possible by staunch defense.

By Maddie Lee

Chicago Sky and WNBA

WNBA Draft gives Sky fans renewed optimism

The vision for the team’s future became clearer after Monday night when it selected South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (No. 3) and LSU forward Angel Reese (No. 7). This draft was the Sky’s chance to kick-start their next era.

By Kyle Williams